When Would Nigeria Be Serious?

It looks like Nigeria is gradually progressing to join the League of Joke nations around the world. Isn’t it quite interesting and at the same time hilarious that the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria (ASUU) now goes on strike every four years just the way world cup comes up? Things have continued to grow in our country, but the truth is that, we have continued to experience a retarding style of growth in Nigeria. And someone was asking when we would ever get things right as a nation, even as optimists, this question is one that wouldget a shake of the head as an answer. As it is safe to conclude that Nigeria is now a joke!

Nothing seems to be working in Nigeria, and in fact, everything seems to be changing, not for good anyway. Nigerians are still wailing unceasingly about the health status of their President, and why he should be away for more than hundred days now without any news about when he would return back to the office he sought mandates to occupy. At a time this began hitting softly, the appearance of another big blow on the face of Nigeria, ASUU strike, is what is really amazing. Another strike at this time means we have not been progressing as a Country, and of cause, we haven’t been stagnant too. We have continued to dance our way backwards. If all sectors in Nigeria need a crouch to stand, why should the education sector be on a wheel?

Nigeria’s education sector has overtime grown into a sector with many faces, all not good enough to be appreciated. Academic institutions are only growing in age without development and growth in the actual sense. Nigerian students’ don’t have a choice but to be proud of old, unfriendly and unconducive lecture rooms, under-equipped laboratories, empty libraries and poor accommodation. And our government wants nobody to ask for fund for revitalisation of public universities. In Nigeria, teaching is as lucrative as jobs that can only help you eat at least twice a day, with little to save. If this is the case, while still deny diligent and dutiful teachers their money? As the payment of fractions and non-payment of salaries forms one of the unresolved issues ASUU wants a lasting solution to. When people currently serving don’t get paid, what’s the fate of the pensioners?

It’s on record that ASUU embarked on a strike between the month of July and December 2013, and the strike was suspended when the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Union. Dearest reader, the memorandum has gone a long way to lead to another indefinite strike, because those concerned did their part as at when due. Of all the items contained in the MOU, only 200 Billion Naira out of a total of 1.3 Trillion Naira of the public universities revitalisation fund was released. It shows how government is concerned about the education sector of our country!

We complain about not developing as a country, how do we move from where we are? When the sector that is supposed to churn out trained and skilled persons into the labour market is itself in need of urgent help. Students’ who come into higher institutions in Nigeria, specifically public institutions, for a course of 4 years, now have to add the worries and fears of strike to the many worries that await them in schools. We need to get something straight; our education system is poor, and the strike only complicate issues. And we are so lucky to have leaders who don’t see things not until it goes bad. When would we be serious as a nation? When?

Tijani Sheriffdeen (Twitter: @docshe_42)